Connecticut

45% by 2030 | 65% by 2040 | net-zero, with at least 80% reduction, by 2050

Relative to 2001 levels

Taking Action on Climate Change and Building a More Resilient Connecticut for All

The 1990-2021 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory was published in April 2024.

2025 law now requires the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection to publish an annual GHG emissions inventory.

Office of Climate Planning within the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Governor's Council on Climate Change

A newly established Connecticut Clean Economy Council will advise on strategies and policies to strengthen the state’s climate mitigation, clean energy, resilience, and sustainability programs, particularly for vulnerable communities.

"Environmental justice communities" are census block groups where at least 30% of the population is living below 200% of the federal poverty level, or municipalities that are the most fiscally and economically distressed, based on tax base, personal income, and residents' need for public services.

Connecticut EJ Screening Tool

Connecticut EJ Communities

DEEP – Environmental Justice Program Staff

Connecticut Equity and Environmental Justice Advisory Council

Equity and Environmental Justice Working Group

Allows the state to deny or impose specific conditions on permits for new construction and operation of proposed industrial facilities based on a determination that cumulative environmental or public health stressors on EJ communities near the proposed facility are higher than other communities in the state.

The Connecticut Clean Economy Council must develop a plan to facilitate the transition of workers from fossil-fuel-based employment to clean economy jobs by July 1, 2026.

Connecticut Clean Economy Council

Connecticut Green Bank

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) covers the electricity sector.

State agencies are authorized to use the social cost of greenhouse gases to evaluate costs and benefits when making policy decisions.

The Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection must publish guidelines for such state agencies on the social cost of greenhouse gas emissions by January 1, 2026.

37% renewable energy by 2030

100% reduction by 2040

2021 Integrated Resources Plan: Pathways to Achieve 100% Zero-carbon Electric Sector by 2040

2018 Comprehensive Energy Strategy (CES)

Facilities larger than 1 MW fall under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Siting Council. Municipal zoning commissions or inland wetland agencies may issue orders that regulate the proposed location of an electric generation facility. These orders may, however, be revoked by the Connecticut Siting Council. The Council is directed to “give such consideration to ... municipal regulations as it shall deem appropriate” and is authorized to affirm or revoke municipal orders concerning siting.

Connecticut received a C grade from Freeing the Grid.

In Siting Council proceedings for certain transmission projects, electric distribution companies (EDCs) and transmission owners must include project alternatives that use (1) an advanced conductor (unless the primary proposed project incorporates one) and (2) grid-enhancing technology (GETs) or nontransmission alternative technology.

In any base rate or capital improvement proceedngs before the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA), EDCs must report on the timelines and cost-effectiveness of deploying ATTs and GETs.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

300 megawatts (MW) of energy storage by 2024, 650 MW by 2027, and 1,000 MW by December 31, 2030

In 2016, PSEG entered a Community Environmental Benefit Agreement with the City of Bridgeport and community groups, that committed the utility to retiring the state's last existing coal-fired power plant by July 1, 2021. On May 31, 2021, the last coal plant in Connecticut was retired.

The statewide energy code for residential construction is 2021 IECC with amendments.

The statewide energy code for commercial building construction is 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019.

The Small Product and Appliance Energy Efficiency Standards apply to 21 products.

Electric utilities are required to achieve annual energy savings of 233 gigawatt hours (GWh) for 2025-2027.

Gas utilities are required to achieve annual energy savings of 1,349 million cubic feet (MMcf) for 2025-2027.

Connecticut has enacted commercial PACE-enabling legislation and has an active program.

The State Policy Opportunity Tracker (SPOT) breaks clean energy policies down into “components”, which are binary questions to evaluate policy quality. Higher quality policies have more of their SPOT components fulfilled.

The DEEP Commissioner is required to establish a thermal energy network grant and loan program to support the development of thermal energy network projects on the customer’s side of an electric meter.

Connecticut LEV Program

Model Year (MY) 2025: 22% of new passenger vehicle sales are ZEVs.

The Connecticut Hydrogen and Electric Automobile Purchase Rebate (CHEAPR) Program offers rebates for new and used electric vehicles (EVs): up to $4,250 for new battery EVs, $2,250 for plug-in hybrid EVs, and $9,500 for fuel cell EVs.

DEEP is authorized to adopt California's medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle standards

50% of state-purchased cars and light-duty trucks are EVs by 2026 | 75% are EVs by 2028 | 100% are EVs by 2030

30% of new school buses purchased by the state are zero-emission and 100% of school buses in EJ communities are zero-emission by 2030 | 100% of school buses are zero-emission by 2040

Electric Vehicle Roadmap for Connecticut

The state must establish transportation emissions reduction targets by 2030 and develop a plan to meet the targets, which includes recommendations for legislation needed to implement such targets.

Connecticut is ranked 13th out of 50 in the 2024 Bicycle Friendly State rankings by the League of American Bicyclists.

Food waste ban – The state requires commercial waste generators to recycle organic materials at authorized composting facilities, provided they generate at least 26 tons of food waste per year and are within 20 miles of a permitted recycling facility.

The Commissioner of Agriculture is authorized to pay or reimburse nonprofits, soil and water conservation districts, the University of Connecticut Extension Services, or any municipality to distribute grant funding to producers who are implementing climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices, which include soil health measures

The Commissioner of Agriculture is authorized to pay or reimburse nonprofits, soil and water conservation districts, the University of Connecticut Extension Services, or any municipality to provide technical assistance to farmers who are implementing climate-smart agriculture and forestry practices, which include soil health measures